Pohrebyshche

Pohrebyshche (Погребище) is a small city in Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Pohrebyshche Raion (district) until its abolishment in 2020, when it was incorporated into Vinnytsia Raion. Pohrebyshche is situated near the sources of the Ros River. Population:

Pohrebyshche is also known as Pohrebyszcze, Погребище Pogrebischtsche or Pogrebishchye or Pogrebishche, פרהאבישטא Prhobisht.

History
The town is very old and origin of its name is not clear. Pohreb means a big cellar in Ukrainian. On the other hand, Pohrebaty can be interpreted as to perform a burial. According to Imperial Russian ethnographer Lavrentii Pokhylevych in his work "Tales of inhabited areas of the Kyiv province" in 1884, before the Mongol invasion of Rus, during the times of Kyiv the town was called Rokitnya. Mongols leveled the town leaving only the cellars.

The first time the town was mentioned in written sources was in 1148. For many years it belonged to the Kiev Voivodeship within the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. During the Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648–1657) in 1653 it was completely destroyed by Stefan Czarniecki and in the later wars of the 17th century the town was destroyed by fire and its inhabitants massacred by foreign armies several times. Only around 1720 did a more fortunate period for Pohrebyshche begin. In 1795, the town became part of the Russian Empire.

People
Countess Ewelina Hańska (Rzewuska) a Polish noblewoman (szlachcianka) was born January 6, 1805, in Pohrebyshche. Ewelina was the sister of Henryk Rzewuski. She was married to Wacław Hański, a landowning noble, who was about twenty years older than she was. After his death she married the French novelist Honoré de Balzac in 1850.

The town had a substantial Jewish population. The Jews were murdered during the Second World War by the Nazis and local fascists. In 1928, the large synagogue was converted into a Workman's Club. It was destroyed during the war.

Other nearby communities

 * Vinnytsia 40 mi ENE
 * Plyskiv 8 mi S
 * Borshchahivka 12 mi E
 * Ruzhyn 16 mi N
 * Bilylivka 17 mi NW
 * Samhorodok 19 mi W
 * Tetiiv 19 mi ESE
 * Lypovets 20 mi SSW
 * Zhyvotivka 21 mi SE
 * Vakhnivka 22 mi WSW
 * Skvyra 25 mi NE
 * Koziatyn 25 mi NW
 * Illintsi 25 mi S
 * Pavoloch 28 mi NNE
 * Volodarka 29 mi E
 * Balabanivka 30 mi SSE
 * Berdychiv 42 mi SE